[4/2/04]Gov. Haley Barbour today nominated former lawmaker Joe Blount to chair the State Tax Commission, leaving Ed Buelow Jr. of Bovina ready to retire.

Buelow, also a former lawmaker, has served two six-year terms in the position since 1992 when he was nominated by then-Gov. Kirk Fordice and confirmed by the state Senate.

“The governor informed me that I was not going to be reappointed, and I told him that I would like to remain for a few years to finish projects I’d started here,” Buelow said. “Apparently, he didn’t want to do that.

Although he has worked in Jackson for 12 years, Buelow, 63, has continued to live in Warren County.

“Before I came to the Legislature, I was a farmer,” Buelow said. “And I still have my farm, and we’ve got some holiday places we can go to.”

Blount, a resident of Newton County, said he was “very honored to be considered for this important position and follow in the footsteps of the many qualified people before me who have served in this capacity.”

Buelow said he was confident Blount would be good in the position.

“Joe Blount is a fine man; he was elected with me in 1976, and I’m sure he’ll do a great job.”

Blount served six years in the Mississippi Air National Guard in Meridian and eight years in the House of Representatives, with three of those years as vice chairman of the Ways and Means Committee. He also served two years on the Mississippi Board of Education.

For the last 19 years, Blount has been chief legal counsel for Entergy’s nuclear subsidiaries.

“I am very proud of this appointment, and I know Joe will do an excellent job in serving the citizens of Mississippi,” Barbour said. “It is vital that our Tax Commission run effectively; it is fundamental to our efforts to streamline government.

“I also know that all Mississippians join me in thanking Ed Buelow for a job well done. He has had an outstanding career in public service as both chairman of the Tax Commission and as a state representative.”

As tax commissioner, Blount will administer and collect more than 75 separate tax levies including sales tax, use tax, individual and corporate income tax, petroleum tax and gaming tax.

If confirmed by the Senate, Blount will take office July 1.

The commission has three members serving staggered six-year terms who oversee all state functions. Being chairman is a full-time job and Buelow was being paid $111,000 per year.